Posted:
With Love, Yours Truly
Sequel to-
Prologue
He knew he should lay her down on the bed, but as her head rested on his shoulder, all he could do was drink in the beautiful sight before him...
He sat down on the bed and cradled her close...
Mentally scolding himself, he felt tears sting his eyes...
"I should have been more aware...I should have been more alert..."
The guilt, and pain were sucking his breath away...
Anjali walked in..."Chote..."
He looked up and that was when she noticed his tears...
"No Chote...this is NOT your fault...YOU know it, and Khushiji knows it..."
Looking back at Khushi, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her cold knuckles...
"Di...She...She's scared...I can see it in her eyes..."
Anjali frowned..."Give her time, she's not scared of you..."
As Khushi began to shift, Anjali backed away..."I'll be back later..."
"Thankyou Di..." Arnav said, then turned his attention to his wife...
Her hand that was clinging to his shirt now pulled at it..."Arnavji?...??!!..."
His lips touched her forehead..."I'm here...I'm here Khushi..."
But when her eyes opened, his heart lurched at what he saw...
'...
Four Months Later...
"Abhaas!" Anjali yelled from the kitchen.
Khushi walked in just as Anjali called out...
"Oh I'm so sorry for yelling Khushiji...but he's done it again! There is a frog in this house somewhere!!!"
Khushi smiled..."It's okay Di, he's a typical 4 year old boy..."
Her chest still pulled.
But the doctors told her that it was normal after such a severe gunshot wound, and it would fade.
Anjali's hand flew to her forehead..."Oh that son of mine! When does chote get home?"
Khushi checked the clock.
"He should be here anytime."
The slam of the front door had her grinning at Anjali. "Looks like he's here."
Arnav walked into the kitchen after tossing his jacket over a chair in the dining room.
Smiling that crooked grin that would for always cause Khushi's heart to race, he strode directly to her and wrapped her in his arms.
She felt his inhale against her chest, against her hair.
"Are you okay Khushi?"
Khushi looked up and smiled..."Ofcourse I am..."
But it was a half truth...She still tired easily, still hurt, though she tried to hide it from him, and for the most part, Arnav let her, knowing her need for normalcy...
Leaning down, he kissed her slowly.
"Yuck!" a little voice muttered.
Arnav lifted his mouth from Khushi's and they both began to laugh...
"Abhaas...Go and find that frog please!" Anjali boomed from across the room...
The 4 year old rolled his eyes and walked out the door grinning.
Never, in all her dreams, did Khushi think she would be happy again...
After she'd finally woken up properly, there were days and weeks of hospital or therapy, both physical and psychological.
Some sessions were private; some were with Arnav.
The road hadn't been easy by any means, and it still had its bumps, but overall things were a lot calmer now...
But there was more cooking beneath the surface...
Arnav had been nervous when the "yours truly" note arrived in the hospital...but then, four months went by and nothing else had appeared...
Until yesterday...
Arnav remembered...
*Flashback*
"I don't CARE how much more needs to be done! I'll sort it out tomorrow!" Arnav yelled at his staff...
Not all things had changed...
But one thing remained, his life was no longer centered around work.
He always left the office at the same time to go home to his wife.
Speeding home, he walked up the steps and paused...
"Flowers?" he thought as he looked down...
Laying on the doorstep was a bunch of flowers...
He saw the note and his heartrate increased...
Lifting the small card, he read...
It's been too long
After all that has happened, I hope you are well recovered
With love, Yours Truly...
It's been too long
After all that has happened, I hope you are well recovered
With love, Yours Truly...
His eyes slowly closed..."No...Not again..."
Picking up the flowers, he took them and the note to the local police...
But there were no fingerprints, and no records of where the flowers were purchased.
He had returned home, determined to tell her, but just couldn't...
*end of flashback*
"I missed you..." Arnav whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear...
Shivers danced down her spine.
She traced her lips with her tongue.
God, she still caused his heart to flip over.
And he was burning for her.
Since coming home from the hospital, she had been quite frightened of any forms of intimacy...
That first look in her eyes when she woke up in their room still shook his heart...
They had made so much progress though...
He could hold her, kiss her, touch her...but they hadn't made love in months...
There was no way that he was going to push her, force her, or intimidate her.
Not after watching her almost die.
Not after nearly losing her completely.
Not after knowing that she had lost their baby...
He knew that she was hurting...
All he wanted was her alive and well...whether he made love to her again or not...
"I love you..." he said gazing at her...
The intention was clear in his eyes before his mouth lowered and kissed her with all the love she felt mirrored her own.
Pulling back, she looked at him.
Khushi often wondered if his hadn't been the hardest road of all.
She knew Arnav still blamed himself, and probably always would for what happened to her...
And he was forever trying to make it up to her.
She wanted him so badly, but her fear of intimacy had been crippling her for months...
Even now, as he held her, she felt fear...not of him...of her haunting memories...
She sighed as he released her...
"He loves me...I am desperately in love with him..." her thoughts were singing
"I'll go and shower...I love you..." Arnav turned to walk upstairs...
As he walked away, she felt the twinge of need surface again...
She found herself daydreaming about his hands on her skin...about his mouth on her breasts...but when the act began to happen, she would panic and withdraw...
Khushi's heart was tortured, she wanted her husband...
'...
Arnav sat on the bed...
Every night, Khushi would turn to him in her sleep and move close...
He would wrap his arms around her and she would sleep peacefully...
With her fragile state, he didn't dare tell her about this new note...
Her happiness was more important...
Her needs were more important.
She needed him...
He needed her...
And tonight...like every other night...he would try again...
Picking up the flowers, he took them and the note to the local police...
But there were no fingerprints, and no records of where the flowers were purchased.
He had returned home, determined to tell her, but just couldn't...
*end of flashback*
"I missed you..." Arnav whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear...
Shivers danced down her spine.
She traced her lips with her tongue.
God, she still caused his heart to flip over.
And he was burning for her.
Since coming home from the hospital, she had been quite frightened of any forms of intimacy...
That first look in her eyes when she woke up in their room still shook his heart...
They had made so much progress though...
He could hold her, kiss her, touch her...but they hadn't made love in months...
There was no way that he was going to push her, force her, or intimidate her.
Not after watching her almost die.
Not after nearly losing her completely.
Not after knowing that she had lost their baby...
He knew that she was hurting...
All he wanted was her alive and well...whether he made love to her again or not...
"I love you..." he said gazing at her...
The intention was clear in his eyes before his mouth lowered and kissed her with all the love she felt mirrored her own.
Pulling back, she looked at him.
Khushi often wondered if his hadn't been the hardest road of all.
She knew Arnav still blamed himself, and probably always would for what happened to her...
And he was forever trying to make it up to her.
She wanted him so badly, but her fear of intimacy had been crippling her for months...
Even now, as he held her, she felt fear...not of him...of her haunting memories...
She sighed as he released her...
"He loves me...I am desperately in love with him..." her thoughts were singing
"I'll go and shower...I love you..." Arnav turned to walk upstairs...
As he walked away, she felt the twinge of need surface again...
She found herself daydreaming about his hands on her skin...about his mouth on her breasts...but when the act began to happen, she would panic and withdraw...
Khushi's heart was tortured, she wanted her husband...
'...
Arnav sat on the bed...
Every night, Khushi would turn to him in her sleep and move close...
He would wrap his arms around her and she would sleep peacefully...
With her fragile state, he didn't dare tell her about this new note...
Her happiness was more important...
Her needs were more important.
She needed him...
He needed her...
And tonight...like every other night...he would try again...
comment:
p_commentcount